2. When was this Website established? Why was this site created? What is the history of the site? Ustream was established in March 2007. The history behind the site started at the United States Miltary Academy (West Point) where co-founders John Ham and Brad Hunstable were stationed. Each had shown an interest in technology and Entrepreneurship at an early age and joined forces with Dr. GyulaFeher to make a platform where people stationed overseas and their families could communicate over the internet on a closed server face-to-face. The site was created when the founders wanted a way for their friends in the Army, who were mainly deployed in Iraq to have the opportunity to communicate with their loved ones back home in the United States. The founders of the site were John Ham, Brad Hunstable, and Dr.GyulaFeher who had previously worked on a web-based digital photo enterprise but the plan fell through and Ustream was eventually made years later. It was difficult to find information about this company.
3. Does the website require you to sign up to use it? Does it require a username and password? Yes, Ustrem does require you to sign up to use it. It does require both a username and password. It is free, allowing it to attract people of all kinds.
4. What is the main purpose of your site? The main purpose of Ustream is for the user to have an opportunity to broadcast whatever they want to people they want to communicate with in a face to fact fashion. The user logs on using an established username and password and the makes sure that they have a camera connection that is properly working to allow for the video to work. The user then broadcasts their “show” and can be seen by their friends who also have a Ustream account. The site did not have any online tutorials that I could find. The site is considered a social networking and collaboration website.
5. Does the website allow for user comments and feedback? Yes, this website allows for user comments and feedback, especially in the “popout chat” feature where those watching the broadcast can make comments and feedback about the users videos and broadcasts.
6. Did you encounter any issues or problems with the site? What didn’t you like about the site you selected? I personally did not encounter any issues or problems with the site but in my research I did find that many people encountered problems with the server and the ability to connect in a peer-to-peer visual fashion clearly. There wasn’t anything not to like about Ustream as it gives people the ability to communicate in a truly revolutionary way.
7. Are there similar websites to the site you selected for this project? The most noticeable similar website is Skype. Skype lacks the ability to broadcast in a professional setting such as a school or business event that Ustream has the ability to do in both a live and recorded fashion.
8. How can this site be used in an educational setting? In business? At Home? This site can be used in an educational setting, a business setting and at home. Ustream could be used in an educational setting because of the ability to share someones knowledge between peers. Ustream can be used in a business setting because people can conduct business meetings through the site allowing for a cut in travel costs for meetings. Ustream can be used in a home setting in that people at home can videochat with others outside of the home who may be far away bt need to communicate.
9. How much of an affect do users have in the content creation and quality of the site? Users have a huge presence in terms of content creation and quality being that it is a site for people to upload videos to. Users upload videos, and in some cases can upload pictures and other media to the site.
10. Explain how your site adheres to this definition of Web 2.0 The definition of Web 2.0 states the “aim of these sites is to facilitate communication, secure information sharing, and collaboration on the World Wide Web” and Ustream does exactly this. Ustream allows people to communicate in a revolutionary fashion by connecting over the internet and talking in a face-to-face fashion instead of just over the phone. Users have the ability to broadcast their own “show” and share it with others who they may or may not know and the viewers have the ability to share feedback and comments through a chatboatrd. Ustream has Web 2.0 written all over it. Ustream is the future of communicating, happening now.
